I'm not a fan of cryptomeria. My guess is they will become the new leland cypress.

I suggest Nellie Stevens holly.

Are there drawbacks to the cryptomeria? Or you just don't like the look? Any companion plants that you would put with the Nellie Stevens holly? I love the look of it - didn't realize that holly can get that big!

at the distance you are working with ... what you are .... technically speaking.. doing.. is soil conservation .. go figure on that ... and i tell you that for googling purposes ....

in my MI .... there is a soil conservation district .... i wonder if there is such in your state???

in my MI .... they offer small plants at great prices to such a project .. including zone appropriate ... plants.. including natives.. conifer.. trees and shrubs ... see link.. AS AN EXAMPLE .. i am pretty sure they dont sell out of state... but hit the link for the online catalog... to begin to understand about diversity ....

IF you plant a monoculture... and the wrong bug or disease roll thru .. you will be starting over ... and it will be the day after you declare how good it all looks ... trust me on that ... lol ..

so the fact that you are asking about one single plant... the crypto ... tells me you need to diversify ...

i highly recommend you call your county extension office.. and ask them for any info they can give you about soil conservation... tree lines... etc ... it would be a great place to start ...

and if you dont have a soil conservation in your state.. no plant sale... google Musser Forests ... as they sell similar plants for similar uses ...

once you have done some reading about such.. then i think we can talk about options ... and alternatives ...

and i suppose.. the above is all based on budget ... if you are thinking big plants .. planted by professionals... then you ought to be getting these ideas from them ... and then discussing what we might think of their suggestions ...

good luck ...

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: link

Just seems to me that every subdivision built in the past 10 years has 3 cryptomeria radicans planted on each side of the entrance. Maybe that's just my neck of the woods.

You should throw some cherry laurel in there if you are looking for diversity.

I'm a fan of Cryptomeria, all varieties. It's a little pricey for that length of privacy screen though.
What direction are you going to plant in reference to the woods. In the shade or sun? Picture?
Isn't Nellie Stevens holly as about as common as Leyland cypress in some areas?
Where do you live so we can give you more appropriate advice?
Location is important when it comes to trees. (I'm guessing Long Island or lower New England.)
Mike

NHBABS - Gorgeous!!! Wow! Nice color and texture contrasts. Love it. Come help me with my screen/slope!

Thanks, Lily. I decided for my space that I wanted 3 types/colors of conifers, at least a couple of broadleaved evergreens (multiples of all these) and then I went around to my local nurseries to see what they had and decided on specifics from there. In choosing my deciduous shrubs and small trees I looked at providing wildlife food such as berries, scent, having a long bloom season including early bloomers, and fall color. I put in the evergreens and a few deciduous trees the first year and have added at least a few plants each year, filling in holes and replacing plants that haven't done well.

I'm looking for a natural looking border that blends into the woods behind my house.
Pics please?

Where is this house?
And what's growing in the woods.
And how tall is the neighbor's house? If you can't see their windows, they can't see you.

To block lower windows, place the blocker as close to them as possible. To prevent then from a birds-eye view from upper windows, put the blocker closer to your house.

For a natural look:

1 - Selectively place some dense evergreen shrubs and moderately fast-growing conifers that will maintain their skirts to block their view of your windows or other areas where you want year-round privacy.

Walk around and place poles to test locations.

Pick species that already grow in the woods, or that resemble them. Don't bring in a "foreigner".

2 - Plant some native deciduous trees where you need summer view control and don't care about privacy in cooler weather.

3 - Fill in the rest with a few of the species you used in the critical spots, with other plants chosen to look good ... perennials, good winter color, etc.

Put a few of them back in the woods so it looks like they are growing along the edge of the clearing.

4 - Consider using privacy panels and trellises or arbors in places.

Mike, you nailed it. I'm on Long Island. Nhbabs great pictures! - that's more like what I was envisioning but a little tighter if that makes sense? Ken, I definitely DON'T want a single anything, let alone cryptomeria, especially not in rows. I'm planting myself and it doesn't have to all be at once. My parents have a 150' line of leyland cypress and white pine mixed together that has about 12 total trees, most around 30' high and then shrubs and planting beds in front. I'm thinking something like that. I'm going to call my local extension - thanks for the great idea. All the local nurseries I'm going to are pushing cryptomeria, which is fine, but I don't know anything about. So my research brought me here.

I basically want something that has full evergreen branches that can be planted tightly enough to form a privacy screen without having a formal hedge look, with staggered trees that entirely mask my view of my neighbors. The area gets full sun until about 3pm. I'm also going to plant some deciduous trees here and there to soften the evergreens and thicken the privacy in the spring/summer. I'll work on getting a picture up.

I also don't care if it's something "everyone" has - I'm fine being part of the herd :)

And let me just say, this forum is amazing :)

nhbabs - not to hijack OP, but your pics are gorgeous, I have saved them for future ideas!

Instead of a 'flat; wall why not incorporate your privacy needs into a 3D composition? You can have a wide meandering path leading towards your least privacy view so that it has depth. Flowering shrubs such as rhododendrons and azaleas add to the picture.
Here's what I did.
Mike

I'm with Mike on this one.......never met a cryptomeria I didn't like :-) So many cultivars with so many contrasting characteristics and all look lush and rich.

I also like the idea of a mixed screen - diversity is our friend :-)) That way, if one plant fails, you do not have a gaping hole that is difficult to fill to size. And a mixed screen is a far more natural look - even more so if you include some deciduous material along with the evergreen. Also very wildlife friendly.

Lazygardens - it's really the backyards that I'm looking to block - his and mine. I'm at a higher elevation than him. Your plan sounds like exactly what I'm looking for. My trees are all oak and poplar.

At the moment I'm thinking of a mix of white pine, cryptomeria, leyland cypress with some shrubs and perennials in front.

Mike - that looks absolutely amazing!!! I don't think I have the skill to pull that off myself though - although after seeing that I'm definitely willing to try :)

and 20 or so years

You're right. That took some time, but did you see what I did? It's not a wall, but I accomplished the same amount of privacy.
I gave it depth. I gave it a place for the eye to go.

What's around the corner? Where does it go? Looks like fun!

I think it's called 'engaging the viewer'.

Mike

Wow, Mike....stunning! What are the two limbed up conifers on each side and the yellow leaved shrub in bottom left? Wish you had it all tagged!

NHBabs,

I like. It looks best in the fall ...and winter too.

J.N

Thanks, KitNovice and Bama_Joe.

The yellow leaved shrub is new growth on a Stewartsonian azalea. Actually, it's light green. It just finished blooming a week or two earlier when this picture was taken. The blooming plants are azaleas and rhododendrons.

The two limbed up trees are Hinokis, Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Nana' and 'Nana Lutea'.

My driveway cuts across just beyond where the path ends.

This has taken over 30 years. You can do the same in a shorter time using faster growing plants.

Mike